Not Playing Up to My Potential on League Night

S

superflychief

Registered
Hey guys and gals. Hoping for a little advice here. I've been playing pool for years and recently joined an 8-ball league for the first time after a few years away from pool. I'm really struggling with my play. I'm very streaky. Couple of weeks I'll play well and then a couple of weeks I can't shoot to save my life. During practice I'm a lot better. I can run tables, get good shape and nail the banks. But as soon as I show up at league it all falls apart. I know I'm a much better player than what I'm bringing to league.

I haven't had tons of time to practice but that will change at the end of February as I'm setting up my own table in the basement. I don't want to put in hrs of practice, only for it to fall apart every time I get to league. It's getting rather emberassing. :(

I'm wondering if anybody has some suggestions as to what I can do to improve. I know obviously focusing on the fundamentals is a priority, but my problem seems to be mostly in my head. I find the day of league, I get nervous everytime I think of pool that night. When I get there the nerves kindof settle down a bit, but I can't seem to just relax and play like I know I can.

Can anybody help with some tips/suggestions?

Thanks.

Greg
 
Sounds like the mental part of the game is hitting you in the butt.

The only way to get past this is to play under more pressure situations. The more you do the more you learn how to cope with it.

I spent about a year concentrating on handling the mental pressure side of the game and it was very hard. Just keep at it and you'll get used to it eventually.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel.
 
I know what you mean. When i get nervous i can hardly play. When this happens to me its usually because im getting distracted either by someone else or myself from talking to much and questioning why am i missing. Just take a deep breath loosen up yourself and do not talk and drown out everything else and focus. Take an extra practice swings before the shot. Once that happens you will pick up a stride where then momentum becomes confidence which leads you to play much better. This is my method at the very least. works for me well.
 
I played a lot for some years then took quite some time off. My getting into a league has upped my mental skill, what I used to get over it was some mini tournaments, going to the pool hall and play as many people as possible. It'll get better, trust me
 
desertshark said:
I played a lot for some years then took quite some time off. My getting into a league has upped my mental skill, what I used to get over it was some mini tournaments, going to the pool hall and play as many people as possible. It'll get better, trust me
Click to expand...

How i envy many of you players out there :/ Unfortunately Billiards are that big of a hit around here so there aren't many decent players in the pool halls whom i can play against. There are no such thing as Regulars here so pretty much i play against my one friend that actually takes pool seriously.
 
I just think before each shot; I got this; how many thousands of times have i hit this shot? helps to calm you down and give you the confidence.
 
zpele said:
Sounds like the mental part of the game is hitting you in the butt.

The only way to get past this is to play under more pressure situations. The more you do the more you learn how to cope with it.

I spent about a year concentrating on handling the mental pressure side of the game and it was very hard. Just keep at it and you'll get used to it eventually.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Click to expand...

Best advice on the planet. :thumbup:
 
Suggestions to maintain mental control

A sound Pre Shot Routine (PSR) is a very good tool to have to help overcome your nerves. If you're down on a shot and focused on the "wrong" things, then those can override your natural ability to make the shot. PSR's are unique to your own style. By following a PSR it will help you to "tune out" external noise, be it from your own team, surrounding environment or even that little voice in your head doubting what you are doing. You want to trust and rely on your sound, reliable and repeatable shooting mechanics. Your actual shooting stroke should be "automatic" and on "auto-pilot". A good PSR can help get you there consistently.

Your correct about spending time working on your fundamentals. It's a key part to ingraining core parts of your PSR into your sub-conscious. All practice and drilling needs to have a purpose and a methodology for providing feedback and information for your own analysis.

Visit the "Ask The Instructor" section of these boards. There are many great instructors there who would be willing to help. Hopefully you have someone in your local area that can work with you?

Good luck and keep at it. Trust me, you will get over those league match nerves and use them to your benefit. You might find that you may even enjoy the pressures of competition when you can use them to sharpen your focus and deliver your best performance.
 
Mitchxout said:
Best advice on the planet. :thumbup:
Click to expand...

Yup! Also, SOLID fundamentals that you can rely on to put you where you think you are, are key to diagnosing what's going wrong on those off nights.

-Sean
 
Also something worthy of noting. Be very realistic about where you game is. People tend to take their "best days" and consider that their level of play.

Your level of play is neither your best or your worst day, but somewhere in between.

Mistaking your best days of play as your average level of play will really hurt you mentally as you'll beat yourself up for not shooting up to that level everytime.
 
No quick fix

First off:

Don't feel bad or embarrassed about this.

This is a very common problem. Speaking from personal experience you have to spend some conscious time thinking about the problem and solutions.

This isn't about your pool game specifically. It isn't about shooting straight, keeping your tip scuffed, or your bank shot.

This has to do with your mind and your mind alone.

You need to ask yourself:

"When I'm practicing and running racks how do I feel?"
"What am I thinking about?"
"What am I spending my time around the table doing?"

"When I'm at the bar how do I feel"

Myself:
My problem WAS during league I was taking things too serious and letting too many things take my focus off my game. Music I didn't like, the other team (not keeping score, being loud, not knowing the rules), something that happened at work, my belt was too tight etc. Basically my mind was EVERYWHERE.

From rack to rack my game wasn't the same. No wonder. I couldn't keep myself balanced.

How did I overcome this? It helps that I have a Master level player on my team who is unshakable and I'm doing my best to tailor my approach to playing pool to his.

What does that mean?
Stay even. Stay calm. Smile. Shake the other person's hand and then just focus on shooting. Create and STICK to my preshot routine. Every time. Walk slowly up to the table. See the shot in my mind. Setup slowly. Take a few practice strokes. Shoot. If it feels off then stand back up. Setup up again. Slowly. Shoot. Walk to my next shot. See it etc. Does someone say "nice shot!" say thank you plainly but don't move your gaze from the table.

And so on.

If you want the same result every shot (i.e. pocket a ball) you should strive for the entire action to be the same (thinking or not thinking, same preshot routine, keeping an even/calm attitude).

Don't talk yourself down: "It's one of those days" "I hate shooting on the rail" etc.

Don't do a backflip because you made a hard shot. Stay even and move on to the next shot.

You have to realize and believe:
There isn't anything to be nervous about. It's pool. No one's life is at stake.

You're a good shot. You can't run a rack by accident, right?

You want to be here. In league. Playing pool. A little pressure is normal and even healthy. Don't fret about a little pressure. Just play. All things being equal a bank shot during practice is the same as a bank shot during your match.

It will take some time but calm your brain down :) A lot of people aren't used to actively telling themselves things. Either in the car out loud on the way to league or to yourself while waiting for your match. Quiet the nerves, remind yourself, and you'll be fine.
 
Welcome to being human.

I think at some point we all have bad days. It's what keeps us humble.

Some days it might only be one say. Some days it might be a string of days.

In any case, it's not a matter of if it will happen but a matter of when it will happen.

The two major things I could recommend have already been mentioned so I won't beat a dead horse.

At some point you'll find your stroke again and you'll be ok. In any case, you'll be ok.

Just be human like the rest of us.
 
4onthebreak said:
First off:

Don't feel bad or embarrassed about this.

This is a very common problem. Speaking from personal experience you have to spend some conscious time thinking about the problem and solutions.

This isn't about your pool game specifically. It isn't about shooting straight, keeping your tip scuffed, or your bank shot.

This has to do with your mind and your mind alone.

You need to ask yourself:

"When I'm practicing and running racks how do I feel?"
"What am I thinking about?"
"What am I spending my time around the table doing?"

"When I'm at the bar how do I feel"

Myself:
My problem WAS during league I was taking things too serious and letting too many things take my focus off my game. Music I didn't like, the other team (not keeping score, being loud, not knowing the rules), something that happened at work, my belt was too tight etc. Basically my mind was EVERYWHERE.

From rack to rack my game wasn't the same. No wonder. I couldn't keep myself balanced.

How did I overcome this? It helps that I have a Master level player on my team who is unshakable and I'm doing my best to tailor my approach to playing pool to his.

What does that mean?
Stay even. Stay calm. Smile. Shake the other person's hand and then just focus on shooting. Create and STICK to my preshot routine. Every time. Walk slowly up to the table. See the shot in my mind. Setup slowly. Take a few practice strokes. Shoot. If it feels off then stand back up. Setup up again. Slowly. Shoot. Walk to my next shot. See it etc. Does someone say "nice shot!" say thank you plainly but don't move your gaze from the table.

And so on.

If you want the same result every shot (i.e. pocket a ball) you should strive for the entire action to be the same (thinking or not thinking, same preshot routine, keeping an even/calm attitude).

Don't talk yourself down: "It's one of those days", "I hate shooting on the rail", etc.

Don't do a backflip because you made a hard shot. Stay even and move on to the next shot.

You have to realize and believe:
There isn't anything to be nervous about. It's pool. No one's life is at stake.

You're a good shot. You can't run a rack by accident, right?

You want to be here. In league. Playing pool. A little pressure is normal and even healthy. Don't fret about a little pressure. Just play. All things being equal a bank shot during practice is the same as a bank shot during your match.

It will take some time but calm your brain down :) A lot of people aren't used to actively telling themselves things. Either in the car out loud on the way to league or to yourself while waiting for your match. Quiet the nerves, remind yourself, and you'll be fine.
Click to expand...

I canNOT echo the above enough. Good stuff.

I'll be honest, I take pool very seriously, and I'm an amateur. I aspire and dream for the day that maybe I could be good enough to simply cash in an event such as the DCC or Tunica. That's my "nearest long-term goal". With that said, once I told myself that being at the table isn't a life or death situation and to keep an even keel......thru the good rolls and the bad.....then the worm started to turn.

Sure, if I jaw one or get a bad roll, I might instinctively let out a groan or maybe a somewhat silent expletive, but it's more involuntary than anything (and I AM trying to work on that as well). Kinda like stubbing your toe. Now I've learned to walk back to the chair, quickly analyze what went wrong, store it in the data bank.......and move forward. The same thing when something goes really "right". Analyze it a bit. Store it. Move forward.

DON'T dwell on anything.

I'm not going to hawk a product for anyone on here, but if you're playing strictly by "feel", and you're an amateur,......well, the game can be a bit overwhelming at times. If you're having a problem with a certain part of the game, such as kicking, investigate a good kicking system. Study it. Learn it. Own it. And then when the time comes......that kick becomes relatively stress free. The same goes for aiming (tho don't get anyone started on here about aiming systems) or a banking system, etc. etc.

Basically, compile tools for your personal pool toolbox. And the more tools you have......the less stress you'll feel. Pretty soon, you're on auto-pilot more often than not and the FUN FACTOR goes thru the roof. Why? Because you're starting to play the game the right way and there's a good chance you're winning more often. Your systems will be so ingrained into you that the game will almost become "feel" all over again. I hope that makes sense.

Ask anyone who's ever worked on cars. If you don't have the right tools for the job, it's extremely difficult and stressful. But, if you DO have them, along with the knowledge that it takes to use them correctly, then you're home free.

And always remember........every single rack you play against an opponent.....SOMEONE has to win. It might as well be you.

Unless you're playing me. :thumbup:
 
Want to say thanks to the OP first of all. All day today, this has been my thoughts exactly. I'm 27, shooting since I was 12,but most seriously the past 4-5 years. I know I have the ability to be a great shot and most weeks at league I am consistent but not always shooting to my ability. I come home afterwards kicking my own butt feeling like the weak link on a highly skilled team. After reading this thread I feel so much better, instead of trying to simulate pressure away from league or overcoming the ambience of league, i now know the solution is to just calm down and play the game I love at the level I know I'm capable of. Stop worrying about every shot ,every opponent, what everyone is thinking, and just stroke each shot like I've been taught and practiced and enjoyed for 15 years.
 
Want to say thanks to the OP. All day the subject of this thread has been my own personal thought. I'm 27, been shooting since I was about 12, but more seriously for the past 4-5 years. I shoot in a few leagues throughout the year and do pretty well for the most part. My problem is the partners league I am currently shooting in. My team is stacked and in first place with 1 week remaining. Most weeks I shoot consistent, but not to the level I know I'm capable of and to the level that earned my invitation to this team. I come home every Wednesday nite kick myself in the butt, feeling like the weak link. This is the only league where I feel real nerves. I've been trying to figure out ways to replicate or simulate this feeling away from the Wednesday night table, and after reading this thread, I realize now that's not what I should be doing. I need to just calm down, forget about the situation, the team, what everyone is thinking, and just stroke each shot like I've been taught, like I know I'm capable of, and keep doing what made me fall in love with this game 15 years ago.
 
I agree that more experience competing is the best way to get over nerves. I think competing on a team can really double or even triple the nerves of competing since it is no longer just about you. Winning for the team can feel like a lot of extra pressure. The good news is you may find you play much better in individual tournaments... :)

If you have any local tournaments (many pool rooms & bars have weekly ones) enter as often as you can. If your league allows the use of iPods, you may want to give that a try. It will help you relax a bit and focus better.
 
I concur!

RadicalOne said:
A sound Pre Shot Routine (PSR) is a very good tool to have to help overcome your nerves. If you're down on a shot and focused on the "wrong" things, then those can override your natural ability to make the shot. PSR's are unique to your own style. By following a PSR it will help you to "tune out" external noise, be it from your own team, surrounding environment or even that little voice in your head doubting what you are doing. You want to trust and rely on your sound, reliable and repeatable shooting mechanics. Your actual shooting stroke should be "automatic" and on "auto-pilot". A good PSR can help get you there consistently.

Your correct about spending time working on your fundamentals. It's a key part to ingraining core parts of your PSR into your sub-conscious. All practice and drilling needs to have a purpose and a methodology for providing feedback and information for your own analysis.

Visit the "Ask The Instructor" section of these boards. There are many great instructors there who would be willing to help. Hopefully you have someone in your local area that can work with you?

Good luck and keep at it. Trust me, you will get over those league match nerves and use them to your benefit. You might find that you may even enjoy the pressures of competition when you can use them to sharpen your focus and deliver your best performance.
Click to expand...
My game was much as the OP describes, when I took just six lessons from a very good instructor which gave me a solid pre shot routine I could fall back on under pressure.
 
vapoolplayer said:
Also something worthy of noting. Be very realistic about where you game is. People tend to take their "best days" and consider that their level of play.

Your level of play is neither your best or your worst day, but somewhere in between.

Mistaking your best days of play as your average level of play will really hurt you mentally as you'll beat yourself up for not shooting up to that level everytime.
Click to expand...

This is solid advice. It is very comman for players to let their expectation level rise above their confidence level and this creates a mental disaster. In fact, in an ideal situation it would be best not to have expectations at all.
 
I can understand where you are coming from. It gets everyone. Never picked up a stick to pro's. Pro's are just likely to find their mistakes and correct them much much quicker than an amateur.

i have to agree 100% with 4onthebreak. Ive played pool for 13 years. Of that i only played serious about 4-5. With that being said ive adapted a PSR. Breathing control. Mental conditioning and focus. Added a few practice strokes to my shots. And literally in one month i feel as if I am playing an entirely new sport and reaching a level that I have not until recently attained. Things are much clearer. I am more focused. I am more determined. I am seeing patterns. I am using a clear positive mentality. Hell i even will look in the mirror before a matchup and look into my own eyes and say "i will shoot well tonight." I could be shooting in a room filled with people. But they arent there. It is just me and the table. Everything else doesnt matter until your cue is back in its case. The world then continues on just as you left it.
 
zpele said:
Sounds like the mental part of the game is hitting you in the butt.

The only way to get past this is to play under more pressure situations. The more you do the more you learn how to cope with it.

I spent about a year concentrating on handling the mental pressure side of the game and it was very hard. Just keep at it and you'll get used to it eventually.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel.
Click to expand...

Good posting :)

But the main thing is: To detect if it s really just a mental thing (what i cannot believe really- jmho)
I would say it s both, like it usually for the most players. The more bulletproofed your fundamentals and mechanics are, the more you practice-the more self-belief you will have. And this will have also effect on your game *under pressure*.

To start here talking about the mental game mastery would be a shot in the dark- there is no *mental game in a nutshell* :-)

A little help from a strong player or an instructor would help for sure.
 
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